Pneumatic shoulder pad for garments



Dec. 8, 1942. L

' PNEUMATIC SHOULDER my FOR GARMENTS Filegjmg 16, 1941 INVENTOR.

ERMA/v LEVY me Q I flz'zvmx ,The bag may be removable Patented Dec. 8, 1942 UNITED STATE PNEUMATIC SHOULDER PAD FOR GARMENTS Hermann Levy, New York, N. Y.,

third to Joseph Kruleck, Bronx,

assignor of one- N. Y., and one.

third to Bruno Zwicker, New York, N. Y. Application August 16, 1941, Serial No. 407,103

6 Claims.

This invention relates to shoulder pads for garmerits. It is particularly directed to a shoulder pad to ease pressure of articles either hung on the shoulders or resting against the shoulder, such as guns, gun straps, or the like articles.

An object. of this invention is to provide an article of the character described comprising a pocket, in which is carried an inflatable bag which may be readily inflated, and which may fit beneath the shoulder portion of the garment. from the garment or stitched thereto.

A further object of this invention is to provide a neat, compact and durable article of the character described, which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, comfortable in use, and yet practical and efficient to a high'degree.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a garment p'ovided with a shoulder pad embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan pads, with one flap of the pocket of one pad folded back;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the pad embodying the invention, with parts broken away and in cross-section;

substantially at right angles to the straight edge 20. Extending from the opposite end of edge 2|, is a straight edge 22, which somewhat converges outwardly relative to the edge 20. Extending from the inner end of edge 22, is a. curved edge 2 which is adjacent the neck of the garment, in which the pad is placed. The curved edge 24 terminates short of the edge, as at 25, and extending therefrom, is a straight edge 26 substantially at right angles to the edge 20.

It will be noted that the flaps l1 and 68 are located at the junction of the edges 26 and 20. The flaps H and l8 terminate at one side, at the point 25, between the edge portions and 2d, and at the other side substantially midway along the edge 201 The inflatable bag it may be inserted into the pocket through the opening formed by the flaps View of a pair of shoulde? Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the im- I proved pad; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, iii designates a garment provided with a shoulder pad ll embodying the invention. The pad it comprises a pocket i2 receiving an inflatable bag l3. The pocket l2 may comprise top and bottom similar pieces of cloth l5, stitched together around the edge thereof, as by stitching 10, leaving one corner however unstitched to produce a pair of flaps I1 and I8, which may be fastened together by complementary snap fastener members IM and i9, stitched to the inner sides of said flaps.

The pocket l2 has a bottom straight edge portion 20. edge portion 20, is an inwardly Extending from the outer end of straight curved edge 28 ii and it. The inflatable bag It may be made of rubber and comprises two substantially rectangular flat sheets of rubber 30 adhered together along the edges thereof, as at 3 I.

Attached to the bag it, is a tube 35, on the outer end of which is carried a valve 31, through which air-may be blown into the bag. The valve 31 is provided with a rotatable screw 50. When the screw tit is turned in one direction, the valve 3i closes. When the screw 48 is turned in an opposite directiomthe valve opens, so that air may be blown into the bag, and to permit air to escape from the pocket for deflating the same.

The pocket 52 may be stitched to the inside of the shoulder portion of the garment l0,'as by stitching 50. When the pocket is stitched to the garment, the opening therein formed by the flaps El and i9 is left open, so that the bag I3 may be either inserted or removed.

The garment It may be provided with two pads ll, either placed on the shoulder of the wearer beneath the shoulder portion of the garment, or stitched to the inside of the shoulder portions of the garment.

, It will now be understood that when the bag it is inflated, it serves as a comfortable cushion for the strap 5! of a gun 52 carriedon the shoulder. The pad also serves as a rest for a gun when resting the gun directly against the shoulder.

It will be noted that the tube 35 may rest beneath the lapel portions of the garment, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

It is understood that my pneumatic shoulder pad can be used by soldiers, letter carriers, hunters, or for any other suitable purpose.

It will thus be seen that there is provided .a

device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various 5 changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it'is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense..

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In combination, a garment, a pocket stitched to the inside of a shoulder portion of the garment, said pocket having an opening located at the front of the garment and adjacent the neck of the garment, an inflatable bag within the'pocket, and a tube attached to the inflatable in, said pocket having a curved neck at the side thereof adjacent the neck of the wearer and having front and rear edges converging outwardly.

3. A shoulder pad comprising a pocket, said pocket comprising a pair of similar pieces of cloth stitched together around their edges exbag and projecting out of the pocket through the cept along a portion of their edges forming a pair of flaps, and an opening for the pocket, means for detachably attaching the flaps. together, an inflatable bag within said pocket, and

a tube attached to said inflatable bag and passing out of the pocket through the opening therein.

4. A shoulder pad comprising a pocket, said pocket comprising a pair of similar pieces of cloth stitched together around their edges, except along a portion of their edges forming a pair of flaps, and an opening for the pocket, means for detachably attaching the flaps together, an inflatable bag within said pocket, and a tube attached to said inflatable bag and passing out of the pocket through the opening therein, said pockethaving a curved edge at the inner side thereof to accommodate the neck of the wearer.

5. A shoulder pad comprising a pocket, said pocket comprising a pair of similar pieces of cloth stitched together around their edges, except along a portion of their edges forming a pair of flaps, and an opening for the pocket, means for detachably attaching the flaps together, an inflatable bag within saidvpocket, and a tube attached to said inflatable bag and passing out of the pocket through the opening therein, said pocket having a curved edge at the inner side thereof to accommodate the neck of the wearer, said pocket having front and rear edges converging outwardly.

6. In combination, a garment, a pocket stitched to the inner side of the shoulder portion of said garment, said pocket being formed with an opening, and a pair of flaps at said opening,- 

